A corpora



A. L. PUTNAM.

METHOD 0F MANUFACTURING DISK WHEELS.

APPucATmN FILED oc.'27,1919.

1,395,357. Patented Nov. 1, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

A. L. PUTNAM. j 4METHOD 0F MANUFACTURING DISK WHEELS.

APPllCATION FILED OCT. 27, 1919.

1,395,857. Patented Nov. 1, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENTl OFFICE.

ALDEN L. FII'INAIVI,` OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNORVBY MESNEASSIGNMENTS. TO

DETROIT PRESSED STEEL COMPANY, OF WILMINGTON, DELAWARE, A CORPORA- TIONOF DELAWARE.

METHOD OF MANUFACTURING DISK WHEELS.

Specification o Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 1, 1921.

Application filed October 27, 1919. Serial No. 333,859.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, ALDEN L.. PUTNAM, a citizen. of the United States ofAmerica, residing Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods ofManufacturing Disk Wheels, of which the following is a specification,reference being had therein tothe accompanying drawings. Y

The invention relates `to themanufacture of disk wheels and moreparticularly to the forming of disks of tapering cross-section from thecenter` towardv the periphery. It is the object of the invention to formthe disk from a `forged blank which may, if desired, be integral withthehub. It is a further object to obtain a blank which has aconcentrated section to retain the heat, but of such form as tofacilitate radial expansion in av subsequent rolling or drawingoperation. vThe invention therefore comprises the process or method ashereinafter set forth.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a cross-section through the forged blank, showing it inengagement with rolls for radially expanding the same;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a cross-section of a modified blank, showing in dotted linesthe expanded disk;

Fig. 4.- is a side elevation thereof;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing another modification. v

In the manufacture of diskl wheels it is usual to form the same fromsheet metal. It is, however, advantageous to form the disk of across-section tapering from the center toward the periphery so as toincrease the strength relative to the weight of metal and to betterdistribute the stresses. The forming of this tapering section requireseither the machining of a thick blank and the consequent waste of metalor rolling, or otherwise expanding the metal to reduce the thickness andincrease the diameter. The latter method is rendered diiiicult by reasonof the thinness of metal, which quickly loses its heat when in contactwith the rolls or dies.

With the present method, instead of starting with the sheet metal blank,I? use a forged blank of smaller diameter than the finished disk andhaving an annular peripheral concentrated section of sufficient mass toproduce the complete disk. This blank is then rolled, or otherwiseexpanded, resulting in a disk of predetermined diameter andcross-section- As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, A is a blank, preferably adrop-forging having a formed hub portion B, a radially outwardlyextending web portion C and an annular peripheral portion D of greaterthickness than the re.- quired mass to complete the disk. The blank thusformed is preferably expanded by `conical rolls E and E, which are soarranged as to engage with the annular portion D progressively thinningthe same and forcing the metal outward in a tangential direction. Theweb portion C being thinner than the portion D will permit the inwardmovement pf the rolls, so that at the completion of the operation thereis formed a disk of tapering section, as indicated in dotted lines at F.

With the construction shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the blank A is formedwithout a hub portion, being preferably drop-forged to form the innerweb portion C terminating in a foot flange Gr for engagement with abearing on the hub, while at the outer end of the web is theconcentrated section D similar to the construction shown in Figs. 1 and2. The blank is also preferably formedwith a series of bosses I-I, whichare distributed around the center of the blank and are adapted to formapertured bearings for engaging with the clamping bolts or studs. Theblank is expanded either as described in Figs. l and 2 or by any othersuitable means of gradually thinning the annular portion D and forcingthe metal outward.

With the construction shown in Fig. 5, the'blank A2 is formed with a hubportion B of a different shape from that shown in Fig. 1, theconstruction being otherwise the same as in that figure.

In all of the constructions above described, the blank is forged with athickened annular' peripheral portion and with a portion within thisannular portion which is reduced in thickness to substantially the finaldimension. This greatly facilitates the radial expansion of the blank asthe concentrated section will hold the heat and will maintain the metalin a plastic condition.

What I claim as my invention is:

lj The method vof forming metal disks, comprising the forging of a blankof smaller diameter than the completed disk and with a thickenedperipheral portion sufficient in mass to complete the disk. and inexpanding said blank by progressively rolling said peripheral portionand progressively forcing the same outward.

2. The method of forming metal disks, comprising the forging of a blankof smaller diameter than the completed disk having a thickenedperipheral portion suiiicient in mass to complete the disk, and also aninwardly-extending web portion of substantially its final thickness, andin radially expanding the'blank by rolling outward the thickenedperipheral portion thereof.

8. The method of forming metal disks of tapering cross-section,comprising the forging of a blank of less diameter than the completeddisk and having a thickened pe- .ripheral portion of suflicient mass tocomplete the disk, and an inwardly extending web portion ofsubstantially7 its final thickness, and in expanding the blank byrolling the thickened peripheral `section outward and progressivelythinning the same from the thickness ofthe web.

4. The method of forming metal disks,

comprising the forging of a blank of less diameter than the completeddisk and with a thickened peripheral portion sufiicient in mass tocomplete the disk and also haring an innf'ardly extending rweb portionof substantially its final thickness, and then rolling the thickenedperipheral portion to progressively force the metal tangcntially`outward. thereby expanding the diameter and diminishingthe thickness.

The method of forming wheels haring an integral hub and disk body,comprising the forging of a blank with the hub portion, a web portionextending outward therefrom of substantially its final thickness, and aperipheral portion of smaller diameter than the completed disk andsuiiicient in mass to complete the disk, and in then rolling theperipheral portion to progressively force the same outward whilereducing the thick ness.

6. The method of forming metal disks comprising the forging of a blankof less diameter than the complet-@d disk and with a peripheral portionsuiiicicnt in mass to complete the disk, also having an inwardlyextending web portion of substantially its iinal thickness, and inexpanding said blank by progressively thinning and forcing saidperipheral portion tangentially outward.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature.

ALDEN L. PUTNAM.

